Yes! A driver convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) must file an SR22 as part of the process to regain driving privileges. The driver can purchase an auto insurance policy at the end of any mandatory suspension period and have the agent print off an SR22 certificate. The DMV of Oregon will usually require that the certificate be turned in at the time the driver wishes to pay the fee to reinstate their license. A valid SR22 certificate must usually be kept active and on file with the DMV for at least three years.

2017 UPDATE: Oregon has introduced a new rule requiring that, even after submitting an SR22 to the Oregon DMV, you must carry a copy with you at all times. Twice now in the last two years, I've had customers complain about being cited for not carrying a physical copy of the SR22 on them. That was news to me. I looked it up. Yep. You are required. Rarely does a police officer ask for it, but they might, and if you don't have a copy of your SR22 with you, you might be cited. Just ask. We'll be happy to print an extra copy to keep with you.

When you buy a policy from an auto insurance company offering SR22 services authorized to do business in the State of Oregon, you must ask the company to issue the SR22 to the state in certificate form that complies with the format requirement.

Rarely will the Oregon DMV accept a hand-printed SR22 certificate. Approved forms are exclusively available from a licensed and authorized insurance agent or company. A computer-printed form is acceptable on white paper as long as an authorized officer of the insurance company signs it. Also, an insurance company can send a certificate to the Salem, Oregon, address of the DMV by mail. This may take a little longer to be received than if you hand-deliver the certificate yourself. Be careful not to accept an SR22 certificate from anyone who is not a licensed agent and who only charges you for the certificate.

The Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles has adopted the paper SR22 certificate format as the preferred method of communication between them and the authorized auto insurance companies. Since the pandemic crisis began in 2020, the Oregon DMV has relaxed the paper-only requirement and now accepts faxed and emailed copies of the original certificate if sent in by an authorized agent. We are licensed and have their fax number and email address! It is a specific format that places these data items in a particular order, making it easy for handling, data entry, and imaging. Here are the data items the SR22 certificate must include:

Last Name

This may seem obvious, but the SR22 Certificate must display the driver's last name exactly as it appears on their driver's license. If the driver has two last names on his license, both must be listed for the certificate to be valid. The agent or company should pay attention to the exact spelling. Any misspelling of the name may result in the rejection of the certificate.

An SR22 Named-Operator policy is a type of car insurance policy where only the operator or driver is named on the policy. The policy is so named because it assumes the insured driver does not own a car. It is also more commonly known as a Non-Owner Policy. There are rare circumstances in which a driver must carry an SR22 certificate to keep their driver's license active, but does not own a car.